RUMOR: Deal possibly done?

[monster_bertuzzi]

You'd be surprised how many people don't like me. It goes with the territory. Whether it's me or Pierre or Gord or Healy or Burke or whomever, there are people who really like you, people who really hate you and just about everything in between, but you usually hear from those at the extreme ends of the spectrum.

Quick story before I call it a night...many years ago, when I first started in TV, I was at my kid's practice, tying his skates. I could hear a men's team in the next dressing room over and heard them talking about me. Different opinions etc. as guys are wont to do after playing a game and I hear one guy say, My friend knows McKenzie and says he used to be a really good guy until he got on TV, now he's an a$$hole...I finished tying my kid's skates, got him onto the ice and couldn't resist, I opened up the dressing room door, popped my head in and said to the guys in the room, Just to clarify, I was an a$$hole long before I got on TV...got a few laughs, which is always good, and it's not far off the mark either...

As for the lockout, hang tough, should be closure soon (I think days as opposed to hours) enough...Good night.

Take it to the bank that everyone here hates Glen Healy, Bob!

 

[Balej20*]

Balej, the tool man Tim Taylor is a player rep, so if he's saying theres an opening in the clouds then he isn't talking out of his a**.

I didnt say he was talking out of his ass, i just said he was giving more of an opinion then a real statement. It's pretty clear he didn't know for sure from those quotes.

 

[Habs13]

C'mon Alexi.. call him again!!!

 

[Baron Von Shark]

As far as I'm concerned, Bob is the top hockey journalist, and I've been saying that before he even registered for HF!

 

[jcab2000]

You don't need to apologize, unless you're convinced you're wrong for sure. I wasn't kidding about me making mistakes, I could be wrong. I just gave you guys my read of the situation, which is much different than yours. It all comes out in the wash anyway. The only thing I can tell you is that based on my contacts on both sides, which to a point are pretty good, they weren't close to any kind of a deal going into Thursday's session and my considered opinion is that it would have taken a miracle for them to close that much ground in one session to announce an agreement on Friday. That's all I'm saying. All those dunnos across the bottom of my original post were there for a reason.

Bob, isn't it possible that you're being used? The media is often used in labor negotiations. Most leaks are calculated.

 

[Balej20*]

Ah damit his phone is busy

Maybe hes talking to his sources

 

[KOVALEV10*]

holy ****... its ringing...

 

[Rageinthecage]

Because there was no urgency back then....right now there is plenty of it. Do you allways do reports as soon as possible or do you wait till the last minute?

Totally agree with your point. However, there should have been more urgency earlier on to preserve at least a half a season. Waiting this late in the game just damages the game even more. At this point I can't really see how they can realistically get in 25-32 games anyhow with all the red tape to cut through. Therefore, even if a deal is reached before next weekend, it may be too late for a shortened season (although the owners sure would welcome the playoff revenue).

 

[Habs13]

Bob picked the Habs as the playoff underdog last year.. so he's A-Ok in my book! Good one Bob!

 

[Habs13]

Alexi.. why is your nephew up at this hour anyway?

 

[Tricolore#20]

Alexi.. why is your nephew up at this hour anyway?

sssh, he's working on the deal man, don't you know?

 

[tradetalker24]

holy ****... its ringing...

and...?

 

[silver_made*]

Alexi.. why is your nephew up at this hour anyway?

for the same reason you are up.

 

[BobMckenzie]

Bob, isn't it possible that you're being used? The media is often used in labor negotiations. Most leaks are calculated.

Yes and no. No question the media gets used at times but usually you know when you're getting used. If you don't you usually find out after the fact and then you store it away for future reference. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.

 

[vanlady]

I wonder if the Harris and Canwest polls have anything to do with the panic. The poll in the National Post tommorow should be enough to scare the jeebers out of em, it sure shoots down the theory that fans will come running back. Here is the Harris poll

http://pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/sports/s_299663.html

 

[leafaholix*]

You'd be surprised how many people don't like me. It goes with the territory. Whether it's me or Pierre or Gord or Healy or Burke or whomever, there are people who really like you, people who really hate you and just about everything in between, but you usually hear from those at the extreme ends of the spectrum.

Quick story before I call it a night...many years ago, when I first started in TV, I was at my kid's practice, tying his skates. I could hear a men's team in the next dressing room over and heard them talking about me. Different opinions etc. as guys are wont to do after playing a game and I hear one guy say, My friend knows McKenzie and says he used to be a really good guy until he got on TV, now he's an a$$hole...I finished tying my kid's skates, got him onto the ice and couldn't resist, I opened up the dressing room door, popped my head in and said to the guys in the room, Just to clarify, I was an a$$hole long before I got on TV...got a few laughs, which is always good, and it's not far off the mark either...

As for the lockout, hang tough, should be closure soon (I think days as opposed to hours) enough...Good night.

Hehe, that's great.

 

[silver_made*]

Yes and no. No question the media gets used at times but usually you know when you're getting used. If you don't you usually find out after the fact and then you store it away for future reference. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.

look at that, he wishes us a goodnight in his previous post, and he pops right back to answer another question. it's 2:30 am and he is chatting about hockey with hockey fans, eagerly awaiting an answer on the lockout just as we all are. this guy really loves hockey. got to appreciate that.

 

[Tricolore#20]

I wonder if the Harris and Canwest polls have anything to do with the panic. The poll in the National Post tommorow should be enough to scare the jeebers out of em, it sure shoots down the theory that fans will come running back. Here is the Harris poll

http://pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/sports/s_299663.html

Check out this poll done by the Team 1260 in Edmonton:

If NHL Hockey came back... right now... would you be interested in watching a 20 game season?

Absolutely Not (74.35%)
Well, Maybe (5.94%)
Probably (1.97%)
Count Me In (17.59%)

This the "Heartland of Hockey" we are talking about.

 

[Habs13]

I don't have to work tomorrow

 

[hockeyfan125]

Check out this poll done by the Team 1260 in Edmonton:

If NHL Hockey came back... right now... would you be interested in watching a 20 game season?

Absolutely Not (74.35%)
Well, Maybe (5.94%)
Probably (1.97%)
Count Me In (17.59%)

This the "Heartland of Hockey" we are talking about.

polls are worthless. unless they are done by the NHLPA

 

[KOVALEV10*]

Ok I got a chance to talk to him for not even 2 minutes because apparently he's waiting for a phone call. Anyways, he said that there's a source that sais that the NHL and NHLPA are not even negotiating at this time... however he also said that they could very well have agreed 90 percent of the deal.. Man I hope he's right

 

[monster_bertuzzi]

look at that, he wishes us a goodnight in his previous post, and he pops right back to answer another question. it's 2:30 am and he is chatting about hockey with hockey fans, eagerly awaiting an answer on the lockout just as we all are. this guy really loves hockey. got to appreciate that.

Perhaps its an imposter?

 

[Son of Steinbrenner]

Ok I got a chance to talk to him for not even 2 minutes because apparently he's waiting for a phone call. Anyways, he said that there's a source that sais that the NHL and NHLPA are not even negotiating at this time... however he also said that they could very well have agreed 90 percent of the deal.. Man I hope he's right

I'm tired can somebody tell me if this is good news or bad news?

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

I don't see a deal getting done. I hate sounding pessimistic but like Bob has said, it will take more then 9 hours of negotiating to get a deal done. What both sides need to do is become completely honest with each other and bring both sides numbers together and get something that will benifeit the NHLPA and the owners. I think the problem here is Goodnow and Bettman want a complete win in terms of the contract and there isn't near enough revenues to get a win like that.

I have to agree with the players in terms of being against revenue linkage. A good accountant can mess around with the numbers enough to change them significantly in the books. The players know this and don't have enough trust in the owners to go through. Maybe something like box office revenue linkage may work, something that is clear as day. I have not followed the process enough to understand if something like this would work but these are the types od ideas that should have been thrown around back in July and August. Link salaries with different sorts of revenues. If owners can't market the game good enough to make cash for themselves that is their fault.

 

[jcab2000]

Yes and no. No question the media gets used at times but usually you know when you're getting used. If you don't you usually find out after the fact and then you store it away for future reference. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.

Thanks for the reply. I just seem to remember that no one in the media ever thinks an agreement will be reached in an intense labor negotiation until it actually gets done. No offense, but I'm just not considering it to be a possibility that either side is stupid enough to walk away at this point. That's not based on any sources. It's based on logic and history.